Prized Possession

Did you ever read this book as a child? 

I remember my teacher reading it to us in first grade and legitimately not getting that Miss Viola Swamp was Miss Nelson in a costume. I literally just got that like 2 years ago when I read the book to my daughter as an adult. Oops. 

The book had a profound impact on my life. My teacher asked us to draw pictures about the book and I drew cameos of both Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp and it was the moment my artistic talent was recognized by my teacher and the class. My teacher held the picture up and said it was the best one in the class. My destiny was sealed. 

When I read the book to my daughter I googled the author and illustrator remembering how important their story had been on my life. I found out that the illustrator, James Marshall, was now deceased but that Harry Allard was still alive. 

I immediately sat down and penned him a letter thanking him for his amazing stories. 

Having forgotten about the letter I sent, I received the below in my mailbox several weeks later. 

A letter from Mr. Allard himself telling me how much he appreciated my writing him and how he remembers sitting with James Marshall and concocting the goofy Miss Nelson series like it was yesterday. 

This is one of my most prized possessions. Mr. Allard is quite old now and I am glad I got to express my gratitude to him before it was too late. 

-Grace 

Ask Me Another Riddle?

If there's one thing I love it's old children's books! I once spent an inordinate amount of time in the Rare Childrens' Book Room at the Library of Congress and even starting inquiring about internships where weird girls could come and look through old childrens' books. It didn't go over so well.

Here's a book from my collection. 

It's titled Ask me Another Riddle? and is compiled by Ralph Underwood with illustrations by Crosby Bonsall. This great collection of jokes and riddles was published in 1964. 

I love the illustrations with their bright colors and bold graphics. Something I love even more about the book are the way the jokes and riddles paint a picture of 1964. 

Old books are just that, old and therefore are little glimpses into the past. Some of the jokes are irreverent and would be considered non-PC today- but that's what makes this book so great!

My daughter brought it into school for show and tell and the teacher read some of the jokes. The kids were in tears laughing. Even though it's old the book still resonates with children. 

- Grace

Quin-whaaa?

So I've been thinking a lot lately about what I should be putting in my mouth. I also have tendencies towards hunger rage as the mealtime hour approaches, so I like to plan ahead. Rather than grabbing at the first "double fiber" granola bar or "justifiably better than Doritos" bag of pretzels I see, I've been researching superfoods that pack the most punch. Currently at the top of my list? Quinoa! It's got loads of iron—beets and spinach are closely related—fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc! (Pow!) It has more calcium than milk! (Splat!) And! It has the highest protein content of any grain! (Zing!) It's such a super food that they are actually considering including it as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration human occupied space flights. Yes, it may soon be literally out of this world.

Naturally, I've performed an exhaustive search for "delicious quinoa recipes" on the internet and have found two that I'm eager to try:

Breakfast: Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa, via 101cookbooks.com

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 cup quinoa, (note: don't forget to rinse quinoa)

2 cups blackberries (or blueberries)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

4 tsp honey

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with toasted nuts. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey over each serving. 

Serves 4

Lunch/Dinner: Quinoa Patties, modified from epicurious.com

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature

4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
Water, if needed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Combine quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Form mixture into twelve 1-inch thick patties. If need be, you can add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the mixture, though it is better to err on the moist side of things. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the other sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. 

Yields 12 small patties

I may soon be eating quinoa at every meal. Try and stop me.

- Cathleen 

From My Personal Collection

Decorative Arts is my passion. I am most moved by luxury material culture. However decorative arts is the red-headed stepchild of fine art. The graduate program I am a student of is aiming to break the barrier between fine art and decorative arts. The division between the two wasn't made until the late 1500s and even then fine art ranked below architecture.

What do you think? Do you think decorative arts is a subcategory of art history? 

Above is an image of a piece from my collection. A small caterpillar statue I got in Kennebunkport. My husband and I were driving back from the beach when we spotted a yard sale. This was no ordinary yard sale though—everything was free! This little guy was still there when we stopped and I feel so lucky to have found a treasure from New England to bring back to DC with me. 

- Grace

Mother's Day Blood Bath

In honor of Mother's Day yesterday I thought I would share the series of drawings I presented at my open studio exhibition this weekend, which also happened to be on Mother's Day, an unplanned but felicitous coincidence, I swear. Blood Bath is a collection of nine ink drawings of figures giving birth in water. I posted the first in this set a few weeks back, but thought I would share the rest now that the lot is complete. The images were created with red ink that bled through from the reverse side of the paper. I've always been fascinated by the idea of water births, the act of pulling your own child out of you, in a serene, calm environment that eases the transition from inside the womb to outside... the womb. Though, honestly, any way you slice it, I'm pretty much in awe of mothers everywhere.

- Cathleen 

Barnacles!

Isn't this amazing?? 

Shipwrecked Armoire with Barnacles by Valerie Hegarty was just on view in a show called Altered States at Marlborough Gallery in Chelsea. 

According to artcat.com: "Hegarty painstakingly crafts her works from foam core, papier mâché and ink-jet prints on canvas that she then paints, carves, twists, drapes, amputates, and grafts to create mutated originals where the fictional disasters behave as a catalyst for the works coming back to life."

I love the idea of an artist constructing deconstruction. And then putting barnacles on it. Brilliant. 

- Cathleen 

This Week's Wish List

What I'm coveting this week! 

Adorable kindle cover from Lands' End. The cover they have for the iPad isn't as cool, and I have an iPad therefore I'm not as cool. 

Polka dot skirt from Madewell. 

Sunburst mirrors from Alexander Westerhoff. Price Upon Request- that means expensive. 

Baker's Rack from Allen and Aubert. 

Chevron creamer on eBay by Taste Setter. 

Brass doorknobs by House of Brass UK.

Whale shutters from Seaport Shutters. 

Utensil Caddy from Dayspring. 

Enjoy your weekend! 

- Grace